Hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system for use in a radiotherapy system, including: a positive pressure unit adapted to apply a continuous positive pressure to lungs of a patient during radiotherapy; a surface camera system configured to continuously, or at intervals, capture body surface images of the patient; and a processing unit configured to continuously, or at intervals, model chest and/or abdominal movement of the patient in response to the applied continuous positive pressure based on the body surface images. The disclosure further relates to a computer-implemented method of providing real-time feedback to a positive pressure unit.

1 . A hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system for use in a radiotherapy system, comprising:
 a positive pressure unit adapted to apply a continuous positive pressure to lungs of a patient during radiotherapy;   a surface camera system configured to continuously, or at intervals, capture body surface images of the patient; and   a processing unit configured to continuously, or at intervals, model chest and/or abdominal movement of the patient, in response to the applied continuous positive pressure, based on the body surface images.   
     
     
         2 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to continuously, or at intervals, extract an amplitude metric translatable to chest and/or abdominal movement. 
     
     
         3 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to continuously, or at intervals, extract a height of the chest wall and/or abdomen of the patient. 
     
     
         4 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to continuously, or at intervals, model chest and/or abdominal movement in six degrees of freedom (6DOF). 
     
     
         5 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to extract a change of an amplitude of chest and/or abdominal height movement during a respiratory cycle. 
     
     
         6 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect a deviation of height, shape or movement of the chest and/or abdomen of the patient. 
     
     
         7 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to distinguish between patient movement and chest and/or abdominal movement based on the body surface images. 
     
     
         8 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to optimize the continuous positive pressure to minimize the chest and/or abdominal movement of the patient based on the body surface images. 
     
     
         9 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to continuously, or at intervals, model chest and/or abdominal movement of the patient in substantially real-time. 
     
     
         10 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the continuous positive pressure to maintain the chest and/or abdominal movement within a predefined limit based on the body surface images. 
     
     
         11 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein the continuous positive pressure is gradually increased until the chest and/or abdominal movement is within the predefined limit. 
     
     
         12 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the positive pressure unit comprises an air pump unit and a flow tube. 
     
     
         13 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 12 , wherein the air pump unit comprises a blower. 
     
     
         14 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the positive pressure unit based on the body surface images. 
     
     
         15 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein the control unit provides a signal for adjustment of the continuous positive pressure provided by the positive pressure unit. 
     
     
         16 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure measurement unit for measuring a lung pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 16 , wherein the processing unit is configured to compare a measured lung pressure against an expected lung pressure, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to verify a mismatch between the measured lung pressure and the expected lung pressure against the continuously modelled chest and/or abdominal movement. 
     
     
         18 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface camera system is adapted to provide stereoscopic body surface images of the patient. 
     
     
         19 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 18 , wherein the processing unit is configured to process the stereoscopic body surface images and generate a model of the surface of the chest and/or abdomen of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a radiation beam generator, such as a gated radiation beam generator, adapted to generate a radiation beam for irradiating a target volume. 
     
     
         21 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 20 , wherein a control unit is configured to discontinue operation of the radiation beam upon a deviation of height, shape or movement of the chest and/or abdomen of the patient with respect to an expected height, shape or movement of the chest and/or abdomen of the patient or a deviation in surface caused by the change in lung volume. 
     
     
         22 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to any one of  claim 20 , wherein a control unit is configured to synchronize the radiation beam with the extracted height or shape of the chest and/or abdomen of the patient. 
     
     
         23 . The hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 20 , wherein a control unit is configured to discontinue operation of the radiation beam if a mismatch occurs. 
     
     
         24 . A computer-implemented method of providing real-time feedback to a positive pressure unit, the method comprising the steps of:
 acquiring continuous positive pressure data from continuous positive pressure applied to lungs of a patient during radiotherapy;   continuously, or at intervals, capturing body surface images of the patient using a surface camera system; and   continuously, or at intervals, modelling chest and/or abdominal movement of the patient in response to the applied continuous positive pressure based on the body surface images.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of providing real-time feedback according to  claim 24 , further comprising applying a continuous positive pressure to lungs of a patient during radiotherapy. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of providing real-time feedback according to  claim 24 , further comprising the step of optimizing the continuous positive pressure to minimize the chest and/or abdominal movement of the patient and/or to control the continuous positive pressure to maintain the chest and/or abdominal movement within a predefined limit. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of providing real-time feedback according to  claim 24 , wherein in the method is performed using the hybrid continuous positive pressure and surface imaging system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         28 . A computer program having instructions which, when executed by a computing device or computing system, cause the computing device or computing system to carry out the method of providing real-time feedback to a positive pressure unit according to any one of  claim 24 .